The Panetta Burns plan does exist; I first read it about more than three weeks ago. It's pretty off-the-radar, though, so I'm hardly surprised that neither anybody in here nor the article writer have heard of it. But that was back before a quarter of all people started to notice it. It's getting pretty played out now, a lot of people I know have moved on to more interesting and unique plans. The Gromley-Hinckson, for example, or if you really want something obscure, Kanes-Tyrex or Indigo-Montoya.

Only one tax .... 15% straight across the board. No 501(c)3s, no fluctuating tax rates, no penalties for making a buck, corporations and individuals all the same ... 15%.

Bonus, ability to plan ahead with certainty.

Except that this 15% flat tax scheme has been studied relentlessly for for over 30 years and each time the same conclusion was reached: it won't work. For a flat tax to work, the federal rate would have to be north of 25% for everyone; it would have to be a regressive tax, which would impact poorer taxpayers the most. And it would require would require deep cuts in federal programs, including defense. This would mean that most block grants and other payments to the states would have to go. They, in turn, would have to increase their tax rates to make up for this. Some experts estimate that a flat tax plan would result in an overall tax liability of around 50% for a family earning $50K per year.

So, I think I will support the Balz-Deep plan. My wife is with me on this.

KrispyKritter:take the average farker on the street, some sort of math for hours per week. subtract the hours they sleep, hygiene - dress time, commute, work, time for the 100 chores everyone does every week, time for other responsibilities they have in life. average farker has very little time to themselves to keep up with the events of the day, their personal interests/hobbies/recreation and what's going on in the world. and still some jerkoff has to bust peoples balls because they don't know everything about everything. morans. actually, newpaper reporter = elitist morans. the wurst kind of moran.

i spit on elitist newspaper reporter moran. pa-tooooiie!

They have time for honey boo-boo, but not quite enough to read up on how our debt, interest, and economy work. I'd say that's a matter of priorities, not of time.

beta_plus:Well, after winning the White House again, Liberals are being honest that they just want to tax and spend America into oblivion.

As opposed to the GOP plan of borrow and spend. Neither side wants smaller government, they just want bigger government in different ways. The GOP wants handouts to defense contractors and billion dollar companies, the Democrats want handouts to the poor so they can get food and medicine.

The Larch:I'm fairly wonky, and I honestly have no clear idea what is in the Simpson-Bowles plan. How is it even possible that 35% of all people approve of it?log_jammin: colinspooky: Eight per cent view Panetta-Burns favorably

and 17 percent oppose it. 8+17 = 25% of the respondents have an opinion on something that doesn't exist.

/not submitter

To be fair, only 23% of respondents approve of the Simpson-Bowles plan, while 16% oppose it and 61% had no opinion. The headline was doubly wrong; it should have read something to the effect of "39% of respondents have an opinion on the Simpson-Bowles plan, and 25% of respondents have an opinion on the non-existent Panetta-Burns plan."

Basically, the overwhelming majority of people have never heard of either plan. A surprising number of people are willing to lie to strangers instead of exposing their ignorance to a stranger.

It's worse than that. Since 25% of people claimed to have an opinion on a nonexistent plan, it's possible that as few as 14% of respondents actually knew anything about the Simpson-Bowles plan.

Because 9% think it's too high, AND SHOULDN'T BE CUT! 9% of respondents could not fullyget their arms around the question. There should be another box you can check for, "Ihave utterly no idea what you're talking about. Please, God, don't ask for my input."

iheartscotch:Pocket Ninja: The Panetta Burns plan does exist; I first read it about more than three weeks ago. It's pretty off-the-radar, though, so I'm hardly surprised that neither anybody in here nor the article writer have heard of it. But that was back before a quarter of all people started to notice it. It's getting pretty played out now, a lot of people I know have moved on to more interesting and unique plans. The Gromley-Hinckson, for example, or if you really want something obscure, Kanes-Tyrex or Indigo-Montoya.

I imagine the Indigo-Montoya plan involves looking for the 6 fingered man.

Pocket Ninja:The Panetta Burns plan does exist; I first read it about more than three weeks ago. It's pretty off-the-radar, though, so I'm hardly surprised that neither anybody in here nor the article writer have heard of it. But that was back before a quarter of all people started to notice it. It's getting pretty played out now, a lot of people I know have moved on to more interesting and unique plans. The Gromley-Hinckson, for example, or if you really want something obscure, Kanes-Tyrex or Indigo-Montoya.

So it's the hipster plan?

MorrisBird:The Panera-Bread plan calls for a charred sandwich and bland soup. I cannot support this debacle.

I favor the Pantera-Bread plan myself. It takes things to a new level.